Colin Ferguson

Colin Ferguson is a black man who went on a racially-motivated rampage on a Long Island Railroad commuter train on December 7, 1993. He left six people dead and 19 injured.

Ferguson had a strong legal team, including William Kunstler, but they wanted him to enter an insanity plea so he fired them. Ferguson represented himself and claimed that the murders were committed by a white man who stole his gun while he slept on the train.

Because he served as his own counsel, the trial was filled with seemingly surreal moments such as Ferguson asking a survivor "But did you see the person who shot you?

"Yes I did. I saw you shoot me. Then you shot the man next to me. I've already said this."

This led to a brief debate over the appropriateness of letting crazy people defend themselves, but nothing came of it.

Fergsuon was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and 19 counts of attempted murder on Feb. 17, 1995. Then 39 years old, he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.